Article: Buyers Key to Choosing Comparable Sales

CHICAGO (June 7, 2012) – Characteristics of purchasers, not location, are most important in selecting comparable sales, according to an article published this week in The Appraisal Journal.

The Appraisal Journal is the quarterly technical and academic publication of the Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers. The materials presented in the publication represent the opinions and views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Appraisal Institute.

“Market Delineation,” by David A. Braun, MAI, SRA, looks at how to ensure the best comparable sales in a real estate appraisal. Appraisers typically analyze sale prices of comparable properties when they value a property.

Braun writes that the first step in selecting appropriate comparable sales is to identify the market of the property that is being appraised. “Market delineation is the primary analysis that leads to the identification of the appropriate comparables, so its importance cannot be overstated,” his article says.

Braun emphasizes that appraisers should look beyond mere proximity when selecting comparable properties. It is important to think of who will be purchasing and what properties they desire based on property characteristics, he writes, noting that neighborhood boundaries are a lesser consideration.

The article offers tests for determining if properties are in the same market: (1) Do the same potential purchasers tend to shop these properties? (2) Do the purchasers pay similar amounts for the properties’ features, e.g., similar dollar amounts per square foot? The author presents a mathematical model to confirm whether a property is in the same market and therefore an appropriate comparable to use in the appraisal.
The author cautions that markets are not necessarily contiguous. He shows how automated valuation models, which focus on location, may incorrectly choose comparable properties that are in close proximity, but not in the same market. This can occur, for example, when there are adjoining subdivisions or streets that attract different types of buyers. The author stresses, “The important concept is that markets are about people.”
Read Market Delineation in the Spring 2012 issue of The Appraisal Journal.

“Feasibility Study for Indoor Waterpark Resorts and Outdoor Waterparks,” by David J. Sangree, MAI, offers guidance on how appraisers can analyze a market to determine if a proposed waterpark is economically feasible.

“Daily Pricing: An Appraiser’s Dream” by D. Richard Wincott, MAI, looks at the valuation requirements for institutional-grade real estate in pension funds and the need for current real estate valuations in funds that are traded daily.

The Appraisal Institute is a global membership association of professional real estate appraisers, with nearly 23,000 members in nearly 60 countries throughout the world. Its mission is to advance professionalism and ethics, global standards, methodologies, and practices through the professional development of property economics worldwide. Organized in 1932, the Appraisal Institute advocates equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in the appraisal profession and conducts its activities in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Members of the Appraisal Institute benefit from an array of professional education and advocacy programs, and may hold the prestigious MAI, SRPA and SRA designations. Learn more at www.appraisalinstitute.org.